sample

IPA /ˈsæmpəl/ Syllables 2 · sam·puhl Stress 1st syllable
SAM·puhl
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Americans pronounce sample as SAM-puhl (/ˈsæmpəl/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds
75%
Clarity
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Stress
78%
Intonation
65%
Fluency
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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the vowel before M/N too pure.

In "sample", the "a" vowel before M or N raises and fronts toward [eə] — the tongue pulls up and forward, breaking the vowel into a tense glide as it anticipates the nasal. The "/æ/" vowel raises and fronts before M or N — tongue pulls up and forward, producing a tense [eə] glide (between /e/ and /ə/). Not a pure /æ/.

Treating every L the same.

The L in "sample" is a dark L — the back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate, adding a small "uh" quality before the L. Dark L adds a small schwa-like "uh" before the L. The back of the tongue lifts toward the soft palate.

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Why it sounds different

Why "sample" sounds like SAM·puhl.

In "sample", the short unstressed vowel before "" disappears — the schwa is absorbed and the "" becomes the syllable nucleus on its own. This is called the Silent Schwa Before L/M/N/R, the kind of sound shift that makes everyday speech feel effortless. It comes out as SAM·puhl.

In real conversation

Hear "sample" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"She is analyzing the composition of the soil sample."
shee ihz A·nuh·lahy·zuhng dhuh kahm·puh·ZIH·shuhn uhv dhuh SOYL SAM·puhl
"The sample size was large enough to draw valid conclusions."
dhuh SAM·puhl SAHYZ wuhz LARJ uh·NUHF tuh DRAH VA·luhd kuhn·KLOO·zhuhnz
"The sample size was large enough to ensure statistical significance."
dhuh SAM·puhl SAHYZ wuhz LARJ uh·NUHF tuh uhn·SHUUR stuh·TIH·stuh·kuhl sihg·NIH·fuh·kuhns
Same pattern

Words that work the same way.

All of these share phonetic features with this word — same trick.

SAM·puhlzsamplesuhg·ZAM·puhlzexamplesKAM·puhscampusMAN·yuh·SKRIHPTmanuscriptuhm·PAH·suh·buhlimpossibleSIHM·puhlsimpleSTAMPSstampsKA·muhlzcamels
Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

01

Pronouncing the vowel before M/N too pure.

In "sample", the "a" vowel before M or N raises and fronts toward [eə] — the tongue pulls up and forward, breaking the vowel into a tense glide as it anticipates the nasal. The "/æ/" vowel raises and fronts before M or N — tongue pulls up and forward, producing a tense [eə] glide (between /e/ and /ə/). Not a pure /æ/.

SAM-puhl→SAM·puhl
02

Treating every L the same.

The L in "sample" is a dark L — the back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate, adding a small "uh" quality before the L. Dark L adds a small schwa-like "uh" before the L. The back of the tongue lifts toward the soft palate.

sample→SAM·puhl
03

Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.

In "sample", the short unstressed vowel before "" disappears — the schwa is absorbed and the "" becomes the syllable nucleus on its own. Schwa is absorbed — consonant becomes the syllable nucleus.

sample→SAM·puhl
04

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch SAM — keep everything else short and quick.

sam·PUHL→SAM·puhl
Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "sample" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "SAM" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "SAM-puhl" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the second syllable in "sample" reduce to "uh"?
Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "SAM-puhl" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "sample" different from British English?
American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "SAM-puhl" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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